Mangaluru, Jan 18, 2017: The latest and fourth edition of ’Namoora Habba-2017,’ a festival of coastal Karnataka’s culture, folk arts, traditions, sports and lifestyle, will be held under the aegis of Abhinandana Samskruthika Trust at Chandra Gupta Maurya Stadium, Jayanagar, Bengaluru, on January 21 and 22.

Minister for food, civil supplies and consumer affairs UT Khader said the festival is an effort to introduce cultural heritage of coastal Karnataka to people in Bengaluru. "Nearly 15 lakh people, who have roots in coastal districts, are settled in Bengaluru. The festival will help those people to gather under one umbrella to share happiness by witnessing various cultural and rural sports of coastal region. It is also an effort to protect rural sports of coastal Karnataka, which are vanishing gradually," Khader said.

Belooru Raghavendra Shetty, convener, said Janapada Academy awardee artist Bhujanga Koraga will inaugurate the fest on January 21. Former advocate general BV Acharya and industrialist Vakwady Praveen Kumar Shetty will be honoured with ’Kireeta Prashasti’ on the occasion. Social worker Ganesh Kumbhashi, who works for welfare of Koraga community, and Ravi Shetty, senior kabaddi player, will also be felicitated. Food festival, nammoora santhe, photo santhe, cartoon fest, bayalata and selfie house are the main attractions of the two-day festival, Raghavendra said. Minister for sports and youth empowerment Pramod Madhwaraj will preside over the inaugural ceremony.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader on Jan 17, Tuesday launched the poster for Nammoora Habba, a festival of the coastal region to be organised by Abhinandana Cultural Trust, Bengaluru, at Chandragupta Ground, Jayanagar 5th Block, Bengaluru, on January 21 and 22.

Speaking on the occasion, Mangaluru based Minister Khader said that the two-day festival would showcase the rich traditional and cultural heritage of coastal Karnataka in Bengaluru and complimented the trust for organising the festival.

The festival, to be conducted for the fourth time, was attended by local Bengalureans last year as well as residents from the coastal districts, he said.

Trust convenor Beluru Raghavendra Shetty said that the festival is being organised to keep alive the traditions of the coastal region for the over four lakh people from the region living in Bengaluru.